Martina McBride Set to Release Christmas Album, New Cookbook

It's only August, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start thinking about the holidays! Martina McBride is there for all the Christmas fanatics out there, as she'll be releasing a new seasonal album, It’s The Holiday Season, on Oct. 19.

The album, which features nine spirited tunes, is a long-time-coming follow-up to her first holiday record, 1998's multi-platinum White Christmas.

“It’s been exactly 20 years since I released White Christmas. With that album I wanted to make it classic and something that would stand the test of time, which I feel like it has done,” McBride said in a statement. “I wanted to accomplish the same thing with It’s The Holiday Season, but with a different feel."

As she noted herself, fans shouldn't expect this to be a traditional Christmas record. McBride revealed to Billboard last month that the new album has a "big band swing ... kind of a vintage-y throwback sound" that's completely different from anything she's worked on before.

"I decided to make most of the album with a big-band swing vibe that takes you back to the Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald records," she explains, and adds that her upcoming holiday tour will be even more of the same.

"Once I recorded the album I knew the tour had to match the 'big band sound,'" she notes. "So every date on The Joy of Christmas Tour 2018 will feature a symphony orchestra backing me on every song!" The tour will kick off Nov. 23, and play select dates through Dec. 8.

For those who aren't interested in adding another holiday album to their library—or have a foodie on their gift-giving list—McBride has that covered as well. She's also releasing a new cookbook in time for the holidays, Martina’s Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life, which she says is completely ready to go, and that she can't wait to share with fans. The volume is her second go in the cookbook realm, and it can be picked up on Oct. 30.

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